Adjustable seat or the like.



W. H. IRVINE.

ADJUSTABLE SEAT OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION 111.211 MAR.17, 1911.

998,689, Patented July 25, 1911.

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IINIT TAT PAT jj ADJUSTABLE SEAT OR- THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILsoN I-I. IRVINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Seats or theLike, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to an outing seat which is providedwith a bottom of canvas or other similar material so mounted that theamount of slack in the same may be adjusted, or may be entirely removed,in which case it is well adapted for use as a cot or bed, when properlysuspended.

The invention further relates to the manner of suspending the device, sothat when the same is used as a seat, the angle of support may beinstantly and perfectly adjusted, and so that when the device has oncebeen adjusted to a given angle, it will retain the same until againadjusted.

The invention further relates to a construction of device, which may beused in combination with a tent cover, such a combination beingparticularly desirable when the device is to be used as an out-door bed.

Objects of the invention are to provide a seat or the like having acloth bottom, the slack of which may be adjusted; to provide means forsuspending the device when it is used as a seat in such manner that itwill always maintain the proper angle; to provide a device of suchconstruction that when used as a suspended cot, the slack may beentirely removed from the bottom by placing the same under tension; toso form the device that the amount of tension in the bottom willautomatically or naturally increase with an increase of weight on thesame; to provide a form of suspending hook peculiarly adapted to thepresent use; to form said hook in such a way that it will also bepeculiarly adapted to the reception of a ridge pole when the tent is tobe placed. over the device; to provide ropes or the like adapted toconstitute the corners of the tent when the same is used, and to sosupport these ropes that they will maintain a substantially constanttension, regardless of slight vertical adjustments which occur fromthrowing a weight onto the device; and in Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 17, 1911.

Patented July 25, 1911. Serial No. 615,105.

other ways and manners to provide a device of this character peculiarlyadapted to meet all of the foregoing as well as other conditions.

Other objects and uses will appear from a detailed description of theinvention which consists in the features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring now to the drawings, in F igure 1, I show the device as itwould be supported for use as a suspended cot, the ropes adapted toconstitute the corners of a tent being in place, but no tent cover beingprovided; in Fi 2, I show the device as it would be suspended for use asa seat, the necessary slack being provided in the bottom; in Fig. 3, Ishow a detail of the end portion of one of the rollers and associatedparts, showing how the tension in the canvas bottom is naturallyincreased by an increase of weight on the same; in Fig. 4, I show adetail of the supporting hook and the upper portions of the suspendingropes, showing the manner in which the latter may be exactly positionedin the hook by means of knots; in Fig. 5, I show a detail of the hookand the ridge pole inserted in the same, the latter adapted toconstitute the ridge pole of the tent; and in Fig. 6, I show an exteriorview of the device, when used as a tent.

In the embodiment of my invention, I provide a frame, having at its endsa pair of rollers, to which are attached the ends of a canvas or othersimilar seat. The amount of slack in the seat or bottom can be adjustedby rotating the rollers in the proper direction. or arms, which may actas levers for rotating the rollers, and to the ends of these arms, Iattach the supporting ropes. When the parts are so related, that thebottom is taut, while the arms are out of line from the supportingropes, then the tension on the ropes tends to rotate the rollers,thereby increasing the tension on the bottom. hen, however, the armsoccupy a position in line with the suspending ropes, then there existsno tendency to rotate the rollers, and the slack in the bottom remainsunchanged. Each of the suspending ropes is hooked onto a peculiar shapedhook, and is provided with a plurality of knots so ar- To each roller, Iattach an arm ranged that the ropes are prevented from slipping back andforth in the hook to any material extent, thus holding the frame at theproper angle at all times. The aforementioned suspending hook is soformed that it is peculiarly adapted to the reception of a ridge polewhich may be used when a tent cover is to be placed over the device.Ropes are then provided which extend upwardly from the corners of theframe to the ridge pole, and spring tension means are provided formaintaining a substantially constant tension on said ropes, regardlessof vertical movement which may take place in the frame. These ropes,under spring tension, are adapted to constitute the corners of a tentstructure, when the same is used, and they serve to draw the walls ofthe tent under sufficient tension to keep them smooth and tight at alltimes.

Referring now to the drawings, the frame of my device comprises a pairof side rails 7 and 8 with a pair of end rollers 9 and 10. The latterare suitably pivoted in the side rails, and are normally held in placeby means of split pins 11. By drawing these pins, the frame may becompletely disassembled, or by drawing the pins of one roller only, thelatter may be adjusted as will hereinafter appear. When desired, each ofthe rails 7 and 8 may be jointed near its central portion by a fishjoint 12, provided with a pin 13. By drawing the pin, the separateportions of the rail may be pulled out from the bands 13 for purposes ofpacking or shipment. I

The ends of a canvas or other similar bottom 14 are secured to therollers, so that by rotating the latter, the amount of slack in thebottom can be adjusted. To each end of each roller, I secure a sleeve15, which is provided with a number of holes 15 and which carries an arm18. A pin 15 may be passed through one of the holes 15 and registeredwith a suitable hole in the roller, thus permitting me to adjust thearmed sleeve in any angular position desired on the roller. Supportingropes 16 are then secured to the outer ends 17 of the arms 18 of thesesleeves. The sleeves 15 also serve to prevent end-wise movement of therails with respect to the rollers. That is, the posit-ions of the railson the rollers are determined by the sleeves and the split pins.

The suspending ropes 16 pass up and through the loops of a hook 19, thepreferred construction of which will be pres ently described. Byproperly positioning the sleeves on the rollers, it is seen that thearms will occupy a position substantially at right angles to the line oftension in the ropes when the bottom is tightly stretched, as shown inFig. 1. This being the case, any weight thrown on the seat will tend torotate the rollers, which, in turn, willtend to tighten the bottom 14;thus the amount of tension in said bottom is automatically and entirelyadjusted according to requirements.

Referring to Fig. 4, I show in detail the form of the hook, which isillustrated in Fig. 1. It is W-shaped, and the suspending ropes 16 passthrough loops 20 of the hook. The entire device may be supported bymeans of a rope 21, connected to the middle portion 22 of the hook, inwhich case, the parts will be evenly balanced.

In order to permit the angle at which the device is supported to beadjusted, I provide a series of knots 23, on each of the sus pendingropes 16, which knots prevent the ropes from slipping back and forthafter they have been once adjusted in the hook.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I will describe the device as it may be usedfor a chair. In this case, it is desired to provide a certain amount ofslack in the bottom 14. This may be done by withdrawing the pins 11,first from one roller, sliding the rails oil from the ends of theroller, and then rotating the latter backward a sufficient amount toprovide some of the slack desired in the bottom of the chair. After therails have been replaced, the operation may be repeated on the otherroller if desired, so that eventually a sufficient amount of slack willbe provided in the bottom, and when the chair is suspended, the arms 18will occupy positions in line with the suspending ropes 16.

I will now describe the device as it may be used for a sleeping cot,provided with a tent cover. The end portion of each rail is providedwith a notch 24, adapted to receive a rope 25, which will serve to bracethe corners of the tent. One end of this rope is attached to one end ofa spring 26, the rope then passing through the notch at one end. of therail, up through one of the loops 20 of the hook, down through the notchat the other end of the rail, and its end is then attached to one end ofanother spring similar to the spring 26. A corresponding rope 27 issimilarly attached to the other ends of the springs, and serves toreinforce the other corners of the tent. It will be observed that, asthe weight on the device changes, there will be a certain amount of upand down movement with respect to the hook 19. Of course, this will becompensated for by the springs 26, so hat the ropes which reinforce thecorners of the tent will always be kept under proper tension. Obviously,a tent for use with the device, as illustrated in Fig. 1, would be apyramidal tent, and no ridge pole would be necessary.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I illustrate the device as it may be used inconjunction with a triangular tent, in which case a ridge pole isnecessary. The central loop 28 of the hook 19 is of proper width toreceive a ridge pole 29. The latter is of length substantially equal tothat of the rails 7 and 8, and is notched in its upper face at the point30, so that it will remain properly centered at all times. Pins 30 onthe ridge pole at each side of the hook also serve to prevent end wisedisplacement of the ridge pole. An oval-shaped ring 31 is directlysuspended from the supporting rope 32, and the rope 21 in this caseextends from the ring 31 down to the middle portion of the W-shapedhook. A reinforcing rope has its end 33 fastened to one end of the ridgepole, its other end being provided with a ring 33, which may be hookedover a pin 33 on the other end of the ridge pole. The ring 31 is ofsufficient depth to permit the ring 33 to be passed through itfor thepurpose of removing the ridge pole. Knots 33 serve to prevent the rope33 from slipping back and forth in the ring 31 to any material extent.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the tent may be provided with a cone-shapedprotector at the point where the rope 21 passes through the roof. Thisprotector may be reinforced in its lower portion by a wire havingsufficient stiffness to hold the lower edge of. the protector in propershape and in close engagement with the roof 36 of the tent. Byreinforcing the lower edge of the protector, it may be shaped to providea ventilating opening 37 adjacentthe tent roof.

lVhere in the specification and claims, I use the term knots, it will beunderstood that I in no wise limit myself to knots in the literal senseof the word, but that I include also any form of equivalent device forpre venting the rope from slipping back and forth either in the hook 19or the ring 31. It will also be noted that by forming the ring 31 ofovalshape and supporting it with its narrow end downward, the knots 33are prevented from slipping back and forth, While, at the same time,suflicient width is provided in the upper portion of the ring to permitthe ring 33 and the knot of the rope 33 tied into the same to passthrough the ring 31.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame work,end rollers in the same, a flexible bottom having its ends secured tothe rollers, and supporting means secured to the rollers and of suchformation that the rollers are rotated to place the flexible bottomunder tension, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame work,a pair of end rollers in the same, a flexible bottom having its endssecured to the rollers, lever arms on the rollers, and supporting meanssecured to the lever arms, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a framework,end rollers in the same, a flexible bottom having its ends secured tothe rollers, lever arms secured to the rollers, and supporting meanssecured to the lever arms, the lever arms being so disposed on therollers as to occupy positions out of line from the forces in thesupporting means when the flexible bottom is under tension,substantially as described.

:l'. In a device of the class described, the combination of a framework, end rollers in the same, a flexible bottom having its ends securedto the rollers, sleeves on the rollers, arms on the sleeves, means forangularly positioning sleeves on the rollers, and supporting meanssecured to the arms on the sleeves, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of siderails, transverse rollers passing through the ends of the rails, sleeveson the rollers adjacent the inner faces of the rails, outwardlyprojecting arms on the sleeves, means for maintaining the rails againstendwise movement on the transverse rollers, a flexible bottom having itsends secured to the rollers, and suitable supporting means secured tothe outwardly extending arms, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frameworkprovided with a pair of transverse end rollers, a flexible bottom havingthe ends thereof secured to the rollers, means for adjusting the amountof slack in said flexible bottom, a supporting hook and supporting ropessecured to the corners of the framework and passing through loops of thehook, and means on the ropes for maintaining the same substantially infixed position in the loops of the hook to maintain the framework insubstantially fixed angular position, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame work,a flexible bottom in the same, a W-shaped supporting hook having itsside loops of width substantially equal to that of the supporting ropes,supporting ropes secured to the frame work and passed through the sideloops of the W- shaped hook, and knots on said ropes for maintaining thesame against end-wise movement through the loops of the hook,substantially as described.

WVILSON H. IRVINE.

Vitnesses THOMAS A. BANNING, Jr, FRANCES M. Fnos'r.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

